1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an antenna line protection device for protecting the electronic elements and devices of an antenna line from high-power electromagnetic wave pulses and, more particularly, to an antenna line protection device that is capable of providing high-power signal limiting performance at a response speed equal to or shorter than a nanosecond using a streamer discharge principle in order to protect the electronic parts of the antenna line of a wireless communication system from a high-power electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or an intentional electromagnetic interference (IEMI) signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, semiconductor parts used in radar systems are very sensitive. Accordingly, such semiconductor parts may be easily damaged by, in particular, electromagnetic waves.
Such semiconductor parts are vulnerable to the influence of a high-power EMP, a high-power microwave (HAM) pulse and an ultra wide band (UWB) pulse.
Accordingly, military and civil communication systems including electronic equipment unprotected from the above-described pulses may be rendered useless due to equipment that generates such pulses.
Therefore, there is a need for measures for protecting vulnerable communication equipment from such pulses.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008-0165466 discloses an antenna line protection device in which carbon nanotube C-based streamer electrodes S having a sub-nanosecond response time are implemented on a transmission line, thereby protecting a radio frequency (RF) line from high-power electromagnetic waves. FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate the conventional carbon nanotube antenna line protection device having a sub-nanosecond response speed.
In the conventional technology, the arrayed needle-type streamer electrodes connected to the ground are spaced apart from the center electrode of the transmission line by a specific distance. When a high-power electromagnetic pulse is input to the transmission line, a high-intensity electric field is generated between the arrayed needle electrodes connected to the ground plate and the center electrode. Accordingly, insulation breakdown is generated across an internal air layer, and thus a high power signal is discharged to the ground.